If you are staying at the Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal, you are perfectly positioned to experience some of the most breathtaking history in the world. But if you’re looking to see the iconic Coba pyramid and the Tulum ruins without the $100 per person price tag or the rigid schedule of a tour bus, we have a secret for you. Take a taxi.
We decided to skip the coach and hire a private taxi and it was the best decision of our entire Mexico trip. Here is how we saw two of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, saved a fortune, and were back at the hotel in time for a late lunch.
Excursions vs. Going Private
We enquired with the hotel excursions desk and our TUI rep about visiting Coba and Tulum but to our surprise the 2 sites were not available on one excursion. The quotes for a trip to Coba were over $100 per person and this was a full day trip. For a family, that adds up fast.
We knew Coba was about an hour’s drive and Tulum was a mere 15 minutes away. A "full day" felt like overkill so we headed down to the Hacienda, where we had previously noticed taxis lined up outside the hotel.
The Deal
Here we met a local driver who offered us a private, door-to-door service to both sites, with him waiting at each location, all for a flat $100 total. By bypassing the coach, we saved hundreds of dollars and gained complete flexibility. We agreed on a pick up time of 6.30am, this was essential to beat the heat and the crowds. We would drive to Coba ruins, then Tulum ruins and then back to the hotel with the driver waiting for us at each location whist we explored at our own pace.
First Stop: Coba and the Nohoch Mul Pyramid
We met our driver at 6:30am sharp. The car was a dream, cool, clean, and comfortable with leather seats, and ice cold air conditioning. Our driver’s English was was good so we had lots of conversations learning more about Mexico and the areas that we were driving through.
The Rainforest Transit
We arrived at Coba just before the gates were opened. This is the secret to a peaceful visit. Our driver dropped us right at the entrance and told us where he would be parking to wait for us. Once Coba opened we bought our tickets and headed through the rainforest. Coba is believed to be the largest ancient Mayan city and the ruins are sprawled throughout the rainforest and whilst you can walk, there are taxi bikes (tricycles with a large seat on the front) available for just a few dollars. We agreed to take one and it allowed us to breeze through the rainforest and be one of the first to arrive at the main event, The Nohoch Mul Pyramid, before the tour buses arrived.
Climbing the Tallest Pyramid in the Yucatan
With a height of 42 meters (138 ft) Nohoch Mul Pyramid is considered the tallest Mayan structure and pyramid in the Yucatán Peninsula, even taller than the famous Chichen Itza but there’s something very unique about it. You can actually climb it.
I’ll be honest, I’ve had a massive fear of heights my whole life, but I’d spent months trying to mentally prepare for this. We set off on our climb with our 6 year old Charlie practically sprinting up the uneven stone steps and Mark following behind. I felt the dread kick in but I’d promised myself I’d do this, so I crawled, I sweated, and I made it to the temple at the top of the pyramid.
Reaching the top and looking out over an unbroken view of rainforest that stretches out for miles in every direction was a real pinch me moment. We took some time to sit and enjoy the view, it was incredibly peaceful and a perspective you simply can’t get anywhere else.
It was soon time to head back down, with 120 large uneven steps and only a rope for support. I felt a little uneasy so I embraced the bum shuffle method, whereas the boys flew back down and stood at the bottom laughing at me. Once we were all safe on the ground the realisation set in that we had just climbed a pyramid and the tallest Mayan pyramid at that, I was so proud of us and grateful that we had this experience, it was worth every shaky step.
We walked back from the pyramid through the rainforest towards the entrance which was about a mile away and explored some of the other ruins, most of the site remains to be excavated but there are 4 groups of ruins including a ball court and a church. The site was still quiet so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. It started to get very hot so we decided to head back to the air conditioned car and make our way on to our next destination.
Second Stop: The Coastal Beauty of Tulum
After a 40-minute drive in our wonderfully air-conditioned taxi, we arrived at the Tulum ruins. Our taxi driver dropped us directly at the entrance and we queued a little while to purchase tickets. Tulum was a lot busier than coba with a number of coach tours arriving as we did.
The contrast between the two sites is wild and i’m glad that we made the decision to see both. Coba is tucked away deep in to the jungle, whereas Tulum is a fortress perched on a cliffside overlooking the beautiful turquoise Caribbean Sea. Tulum was the only Mayan city built on the Caribbean coastline and it feels more open.
We followed the trail and the crowds around the ruins, stunning templates and a spectacular backdrop of the Caribbean sea. There was lots of wildlife, massive iguanas and coatis (which look like a mix between a raccoon and a monkey) wandering around.
The Mexican sun is no joke and Tulum has very little shade, by lunchtime we were starting to run low on water so as we had our private taxi waiting, we didn't have to wait for a group. We explored the stunning temples, took our photos, and headed back to the air-conditioned bliss of the car.
Why a private tour beats the group excursions
We packed in so much exploring in just a few hours but saw everything that we wanted to see and by booking a private taxi we saved a fortune versus booking an excursion and we arrived back at the Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal by 2pm. This meant we had the afternoon to grab lunch, hit the pool, and make the most of our all-inclusive package.
Our trip to Coba and Tulum Ruins cost us under $150 for the private taxi and entrance fees at both sites for 2 adults and 1 child versus around $400 that it would have cost for 2 excursions booked through our tour operator.
If you want to experience the Mayan ruins without the tourist trap feel, talk to the taxi drivers outside the hotel. You’ll get a more authentic experience, support a local driver, and save enough money to book a spa day later in the week. Just remember to pack plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and, if you’re brave enough, climb that pyramid!
Written 12th August 2017 - Edited 15th November 2025
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